1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving device for driving a plurality of driving systems using a plurality of motors as a driving source, an apparatus having the driving device, and a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some single-lens reflex cameras use motors as a driving source to drive a mirror driving system, a shutter charge driving system, a film winding or rewinding driving system, an electronic flash pop-up or -down driving system, and the like.
For example, a camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 3-75626 incorporates two motors disposed such that the first motor is rotated in one direction to wind a film and in the other direction to drive a mirror and a shutter, whereas the second motor is rotated in one direction to rewind the film and in the other direction to drive an electronic flash.
Further, various cameras have been proposed which use one motor as a driving source to feed the film, charge the shutter, drive the mirror, and so on.
For example, a camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 1-202731 employs a preliminary winding system wherein the camera main body incorporates one motor disposed such that when a user opens a rear cover, charges a film cartridge into the camera, and then closes the rear cover, a full-amount winding spool winds a film in the film cartridge to set the camera in a photographing standby state. Thereafter, in photographing, this motor is used to rewind the film, charge the shutter, and drive the mirror through switching of a planetary clutch.
In this camera, when the motor is rotated in one direction, the planetary clutch is connected to a first transmission system on a film winding side, and as the motor continues to rotate in the same direction, the film is wound. Once the winding operation is completed, the motor is rotated in the other direction to connect the planetary clutch to a second transmission system. When the motor is rotated in the other direction with the planetary clutch connected to the second transmission system, a series of photographing operations including film rewinding, mirror popping-up and -down, and shutter charging are performed while a rotary cam member makes a turn.
Further, a motor driving device proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 1-287648 drives a plurality of planetary clutch mechanisms using one motor. The motor is rotated in one direction to cause a first planetary clutch to perform a switching operation to select a driving system to which power is transmitted when the motor rotates in the other direction. Once the driving system is selected in this manner, the motor is rotated in the other direction to transmit motor power to the selected driving system.
Moreover, a camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 8-328094 drives a plurality of planetary clutch mechanisms using one motor. The motor is rotated in one and the other directions to perform a series of photographing operations including mirror driving, shutter charge driving, and film winding, followed by performing a phase indexing operation for an electronic flash popping-up operation to be performed as a photographing preparing operation.
Further, a camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-270877 uses a motor that drives a taking lens barrel to distribute power to other motors.
Moreover, a camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 61-269129 includes a film winding mechanism having two types of gear ratios for high-speed winding and low-speed winding, which are switched depending on load, power supply, or the like or to switch from the low-speed winding to the high-speed-winding for preliminary winding.
However, in the camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 3-75626, the two motors each carry our the film driving, mirror driving, and shutter charge driving, but since these driving systems undergo relatively heavy driving loads, large-sized motors of high power are employed for these motors if a camera having a high continuous photographing speed is to be provided. Thus, the camera will be expensive and large in size.
Further, the camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2-202731 uses only one motor, thus making it possible to reduce its own size. The use of the preliminary film winding system, however, requires a rear cover interlocking mechanism and the like, thereby hindering the entire system or layout from being designed freely.
Moreover, the motor driving device proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 1-287648 also uses only one motor, but it requires as many planetary clutches as the number of the driving systems to which power is transmitted, thus requiring a large-sized mechanism. Further, since one operation is completed by a set of rotations of the motor in one and the other directions, a complicated sequence is required for a series of plural operations. If this motor driving device is applied to a camera, the continuous photographing speed will be low.
Furthermore, the camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 8-328094 uses only one motor, but the cam member for causing the series of photographing operations including mirror driving and shutter charge driving to be performed during one rotation thereof is provided with phases for phase indexing that allow the electronic flash to pop up after photographing operation has been completed. Consequently, this camera is not optimal for increasing the continuous photographing speed.
Further, the camera proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-270877 determines driving force transmitting paths for the motors other than the one for driving the lens barrel, based on a position in which the lens barrel is stopped, thereby hindering the driving force transmitting paths used from being selected freely.
With respect to the film winding operation, which significantly affects the speed of the continuous photographing operation, the load required for film winding varies with the type of the commercially available film. Further, at low temperature, the film winding load increases, so that the gear ratio of the film winding mechanism must be set to such a gear ratio as can deal with a high load of about 800 g. Consequently, the film winding speed necessarily decreases in normal photographing.
Furthermore, in all the above conventional constructions, the gear ratio of the film winding mechanism is set to a single gear ratio, thus limiting an increase in the continuous photographing speed.
To cope with this problem, the camera proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 61-269129 is provided with a winding mechanism having two gear ratios for high and low speeds. However, it requires an exclusive motor for winding the film. Further, other relatively large-sized motors are required for driving mechanisms for mirror driving, shutter charging, film rewinding, and others which deal with relatively heavy loads. Thus, the camera has to be large in size.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a driving device and a camera which are compact in size and inexpensive even with the use of two motors, which allow relevant mechanisms to be laid out freely to thereby simplify motor controlling sequences, and which allow the user to quickly perform preliminary winding of a newly loaded film after film rewinding to thereby minimize the effects of film replacement during photographing, as well as an apparatus having the driving device.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a driving device and a camera which are capable of performing optimal and efficient driving according to driving loads or the like, that is, allow the user to select an optimal driving speed, as well as an apparatus having the driving device.
To attain the above objects, a first aspect of the present invention provides a camera comprising a film winding driving system, a film rewinding driving system, a first motor for driving the film winding driving system and the film rewinding driving system, a switching mechanism for selectively switching between a winding state in which a driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system, and a rewinding state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, a second motor for driving the switching mechanism for selective switching between the winding state and the rewinding state, and control means for causing the switching mechanism to select the winding state after a film is rewound with the rewinding state selected by the switching mechanism, and thereafter terminating control of winding of the film.
To attain the above objects, a second aspect of the present invention provides a camera comprising a film winding driving system, a film rewinding driving system, a first motor for driving the film winding driving system and the film rewinding driving system, a switching mechanism for selectively switching between a first state in which a driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system with a first reduction ratio, a second state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system with a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio, and a third state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, a second motor for driving the switching mechanism for selective switching between the first, second and third states, and control means for causing the switching mechanism to select the second state after causing the switching mechanism to select the third state to carry out rewinding of a film, and thereafter terminating control of winding of the film.
With the arrangements according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, after the film has been rewound with the rewinding state selected by the switching mechanism, the second motor drives the switching mechanism to select a winding state (second state), and the film rewinding control is then terminated. Accordingly, the switching mechanism already selects the film winding state where the film can be wound, before the rewound film is taken out and a new film is then loaded, thereby making it possible to perform the preliminary film winding immediately after the new film has been loaded. As a result, the period of time during which the photographing is interrupted due to film replacement can be reduced.
Furthermore, the driving of the switching mechanism requires a relatively small driving load, so that the second motor can be a motor having a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor as a film feeding driving source. As a result, the camera can be made compact in size.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a camera comprising first and second motors, first and second planetary mechanisms for transmitting a driving force of the first motor, a mirror disposed to advance into and recede from a photographic optical path, a shutter, a mirror and shutter driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism, for driving the mirror for enabling finder observation when the mirror advances into the photographic optical path, and for driving charging of the shutter, a first film winding driving system disposed to be connected to the first planetary mechanism to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism with a first reduction ratio to be driven thereby when the first motor rotates in a second direction, a film rewinding driving system disposed such that the driving system of the first motor is transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in the first direction, a second film winding driving system disposed to be connected to the second planetary mechanism to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism with a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio to be driven thereby when the first motor rotates in the second direction, a switching mechanism disposed to be driven by a driving force of the second motor, for selectively switching between a first state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the first film winding driving system, a second state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the second film winding driving system, and a third state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, and control means for causing the switching mechanism to select the second state after causing the switching mechanism to select the third state to carry out rewinding of a film, and thereafter terminating control of winding of the film.
With this arrangement, the film can be preliminarily wound immediately after a new film has been loaded, thus reducing the period of time during which the photographing operation is interrupted due to film replacement. If the new film is not loaded, the mirror driving and the shutter charge driving can be executed without performing the film winding operation.
Further, the first motor drives all the driving systems that cause execution of the photographing and film feeding operations for the camera, which require relatively high driving loads, and the second motor drives the switching mechanism which requires a relatively light driving load. As a result, a large number of driving systems can be driven, and the second motor can be selected to have a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor, thus reducing the size of the camera.
To attain the above objects, a third aspect of the present invention provides a camera comprising a film winding driving system, a film rewinding driving system, a first motor for driving the film winding driving system and the film rewinding driving system, a switching mechanism for selectively switching between a winding state in which a driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system, and a rewinding state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, a second motor for driving the switching mechanism for selective switching between the winding state and the rewinding state, a film loading chamber, a cover member for closing and opening the film loading chamber, and control means for detecting closure of the cover member and for causing the switching mechanism to select the winding state upon detection of closure of the cover member.
To attain the above object a fourth aspect of the present invention provides a camera comprising a film winding driving system, a film rewinding driving system, a first motor for driving the film winding driving system and the film rewinding driving system, a switching mechanism for selectively switching between a first state in which a driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system with a first reduction ratio, a second state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system with a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio, and a third state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, a second motor for driving the switching mechanism for selective switching between the first, second and third states, a film loading chamber, a cover member for closing and opening the film loading chamber, and control means for detecting closure of the cover member and for causing the switching mechanism to select the second state upon detection of closure of the cover member.
With the arrangements according to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, when the closure of the cover member for opening and closing the film loading chamber is detected, the second motor drives the switching mechanism to select the winding state (second state). Thus, when the user takes out the rewound film, loads a new film, and then closes the cover member, the switching mechanism automatically sets the state where the film can be wound. Consequently, the film can be preliminarily wound immediately after the new film has been loaded, thus reducing the period of time during which the photographing operation is interrupted due to film replacement.
Further, even if the user opens the cover member and takes out the film without rewinding, when the user loads a new film and closes the cover member, the switching mechanism automatically sets the state where the film can be wound. Accordingly, after the new film has been loaded, it can be immediately wound preliminarily.
Furthermore, the driving of the switching mechanism requires a relatively light driving load, so that the second motor can be selected to have a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor as a film feeding driving source.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a camera comprising first and second motors, first and second planetary mechanisms for transmitting a driving force of the first motor, a mirror disposed to advance into and recede from a photographic optical path, a shutter, a mirror and shutter driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism, for driving the mirror for enabling finder observation when the mirror advances into the photographic optical path, and for driving charging of the shutter, a first film winding driving system disposed to be connected to the first planetary mechanism to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism with a first reduction ratio to be driven thereby when the first motor rotates in a second direction, a film rewinding driving system disposed such that the driving system of the first motor is transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in the first direction, a second film winding driving system disposed to be connected to the second planetary mechanism to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism with a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio to be driven thereby when the first motor rotates in the second direction, a switching mechanism disposed to be driven by a driving force of the second motor, for selectively switching between a first state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the first film winding driving system, a second state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the second film winding driving system, and a third state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, a film loading chamber, a cover member for closing and opening the film loading chamber, and control means for detecting closure of the cover member and for causing the switching mechanism to select the second state upon detection of closure of the cover member.
With this arrangement, if the user takes out the rewound film, loads a new film, and then closes the cover member, the switching mechanism is automatically set so as to wind the film, thus enabling the film to be preliminarily wound immediately after the new film has been loaded. If the new film is not loaded, the mirror driving and shutter charge driving can be executed without performing the film winding operation.
Further, even if the user opens the cover member and takes out the film without rewinding, when the user loads a new film and closes the cover member, the switching mechanism automatically sets the state where the film can be wound. Accordingly, after the new film has been loaded, it can be immediately wound preliminarily.
Furthermore, the first motor drives all the driving systems that cause execution of the photographing and film feeding operations for the camera, which require relatively high driving loads, and the second motor drives the switching mechanism which requires a relatively light driving load. Accordingly, the large number of driving systems can be driven, and the second motor can be selected to have a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor, thus reducing the size of the camera.
To attain the above objects, a fifth aspect of the present invention provides a camera comprising a film winding driving system, a film rewinding driving system, a first motor for driving the film winding driving system and the film rewinding driving system, a switching mechanism for selectively switching between a first state in which a driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system with a first reduction ratio, a second state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film winding driving system with a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio, and a third state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, and a second motor for driving the switching mechanism for selective switching between the first, second and third states, wherein the switching mechanism is driven by rotation of the second motor in one direction, for cyclically selecting the second state, the first state, and the third state in an order mentioned.
With the arrangement according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, by rotation of the second motor in one direction, the state of the camera can be cyclically switched in the order of film low-speed winding, film high-speed winding, film rewinding, film low-speed winding, . . . Consequently, the switching operations can be performed promptly, for example, the from the film rewinding operation performed in the third state selected by the switching mechanism to the film low-speed winding operation performed in the second state selected by the switching mechanism when a new film is loaded, and from the film low-speed winding operation performed in the second state when the voltage of the power supply battery decreases to the film high-speed winding operation performed in the first state after the battery has been replaced with a new one. Thus, even if the film or the battery is replaced with a new one during photographing, the period of time during which the photographing operation is interrupted due to this replacement can be reduced.
Furthermore, the driving of the switching mechanism requires a relatively light driving load, so that the second motor can be selected to have a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor, which acts as a film feeding driving source.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the includes a rotary member disposed to be rotatively driven by rotation of the second motor in one direction, for being cyclically rotated to a phase that causes the switching mechanism to select the second state, a phase that causes the switching mechanism to select the first state, and a phase that causes the switching mechanism to select the third state.
With this arrangement, the state can be switched in the above order by rotation of the rotary member through the minimum angle, thereby minimizing the period of time required to switch the state.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a camera comprising first and second motors, first and second planetary mechanisms for transmitting a driving force of the first motor, a mirror disposed to advance into and recede from a photographic optical path, a shutter, a mirror and shutter driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in a first direction, for driving the mirror for enabling finder observation when the mirror advances into the photographic optical path, and for driving charging of the shutter, a first film winding driving system disposed to be connected to the first planetary mechanism to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism with a first reduction ratio to be driven thereby when the first motor rotates in a second direction, a film rewinding driving system disposed such that the driving system of the first motor is transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in the first direction, a second film winding driving system disposed to be connected to the second planetary mechanism to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism with a second reduction ratio greater than the first reduction ratio to be driven thereby when the first motor rotates in the second direction, and a switching mechanism disposed to be driven by a driving force of the second motor, for selectively switching between a first state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the first film winding driving system, a second state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the second film winding driving system, and a third state in which the driving force of the first motor can be transmitted to the film rewinding driving system, wherein the switching mechanism is driven by the second motor rotating in one direction, for cyclically selecting the second state, the first state, and the third state in an order mentioned.
According to this embodiment, the camera is generally constructed so that the mirror and shutter driving system is driven via the first planetary mechanism by rotation of the first motor in the first direction, the first film winding driving system for high-speed winding is driven via the first planetary mechanism by rotation of the first motor in the second direction, the film rewinding driving system is driven via the second planetary mechanism by rotation of the first motor in the first direction, the second film winding driving system for low-speed winding is driven via the second planetary mechanism by rotation of the first motor in the second direction, and the driving force of the two motors is used to drive the switching mechanism in one direction in order to cyclically switch the state of the camera in the order of film low-speed winding, film high-speed winding, film rewinding, film low-speed winding, . . . With this arrangement, the first motor drives all the driving systems that cause execution of the photographing and film feeding operations for the camera, which require relatively high driving loads, and the second motor drives the switching mechanism which requires relatively light driving loads. Accordingly, the large number of driving systems can be driven, and the second motor can be selected to have a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor, thus reducing the size of the camera.
To attain the above objects, a sixth aspect of the present invention provides a driving device provided in an apparatus for driving a plurality of driving systems by means of motors as driving sources, comprising first and second motors, first and second planetary mechanisms for transmitting a driving force of the first motor, a first driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in a first direction, a second driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in a second direction, a third driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in the first direction, a fourth driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in the second direction, and a switching mechanism responsive to rotation of the second motor, for switching between transmission of the driving force of the first motor via the first planetary mechanism, and transmission of the driving force of the first motor via the second planetary mechanism.
Preferably, the first to fourth driving systems cause execution of operations of the apparatus requiring greater driving loads than a driving load which the switching mechanism undergoes.
With the arrangement according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the first motor drives all of the first to fourth driving systems that cause execution of the photographing and film feeding operations for the camera, which require relatively high driving loads, and the second motor drives the switching mechanism which requires a relatively light driving load. Consequently, the second motor can be selected to have a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor, thus reducing the size of the apparatus or camera and thus its costs.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the switching mechanism is disposed to be driven by rotation of the second motor in a first direction, and the driving device includes a fifth driving system disposed to have the driving force of the second motor transmitted thereto when the second motor rotates in a second direction.
With this arrangement, if the fifth driving system is disposed to perform apparatus operations (those other than the photographing and film feeding operations, for example, operations of projecting the electronic flash device into a flash light emission enabled position and housing the same in the electronic flash case) that do not require heavy driving loads similarly to the switching mechanism, then the above described effects can be obtained, while a larger number of driving systems can be driven.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the second driving system and the fourth driving system cause execution of the same operation of the apparatus, a reduction ratio between the first planetary mechanism and the second driving system being different from a reduction ratio between the second planetary mechanism and the fourth driving system.
If the second and fourth driving systems thus perform the same apparatus operation (for example, the film winding operation for the camera) at different speeds, optimal and efficient driving operations can be performed depending on the state of the power supply, driving loads, or the like. In particular, if the camera has normal levels of power supply voltage, film winding load, and the like, the film winding speed can be increased to increase the continues photographing frame speed.
In each of the above aspects of the present invention, two motors are used, so that the mechanisms can be laid out more freely and a relatively smaller number of planetary mechanisms are required than when only one motor is used. As a result, the entire size of the apparatus or camera and its costs can be reduced.
Furthermore, since one camera operation can be performed by rotation of the motor in only one direction, the motor controlling sequence can be simplified compared to a case where rotations in both directions are combined together to perform one operation. Therefore, the present invention is effective for reducing the period of time required to wind the film to thereby increase the continuous photographing frame speed.
In this connection, if the switching mechanism is driven for switching by rotation of the second motor in one direction, the electronic flash driving system, which requires a relatively light driving load, may be driven by rotation of the second motor in the other direction, so as to drive the electronic flash to project into the electronic flash light emission enabled position, for example. Thus, the second motor can be effectively used so that a larger number of driving systems can be driven by the two motors.
To attain the above objects, a seventh aspect of the present invention provides a driving device provided in an apparatus for driving a plurality of driving systems by means of motors as driving sources, comprising first and second motors, first and second planetary mechanisms for transmitting a driving force of the first motor, a first driving system for causing execution of an operation of the apparatus via the first planetary mechanism, a second driving system for causing execution of the operation of the apparatus caused to be executed by the first driving system, via the second planetary mechanism, and a switching mechanism disposed to be driven by a driving force of the second motor, for switching between transmission of the driving force of the first motor to the first driving system via the first planetary mechanism, and transmission of the driving force of the first motor to the second driving system via the second planetary mechanism, wherein a reduction ratio between the first planetary mechanism and the first driving system when the driving force of the first motor is transmitted to the first driving system via the first planetary mechanism and a reduction ratio between the second planetary mechanism and the second driving system when the driving force of the first motor is transmitted to the second driving system via the second planetary mechanism are different from each other.
Further, according to the seventh aspect, there is also provided a camera having the above driving device.
To attain the above objects, an eighth aspect of the present invention provides a driving device provided in an apparatus for driving a plurality of driving systems by means of motors as driving sources, comprising first and second motors, first and second planetary mechanisms for transmitting a driving force of the first motor, a first driving system disposed to have a driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in a first direction, a second driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the first planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in a second direction, a third driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in the first direction, a fourth driving system disposed to have the driving force of the first motor transmitted thereto via the second planetary mechanism when the first motor rotates in the second direction, the second driving system and the fourth driving system causing execution of the same operation of the apparatus, and a switching mechanism disposed to be driven by a driving force of the second motor, for switching between transmission of the driving force of the first motor to the second driving system via the first planetary mechanism, and transmission of the driving force of the first motor to the fourth driving system via the second planetary mechanism, wherein a reduction ratio between the first planetary mechanism and the second driving system when the driving force of the first motor is transmitted to the second driving system via the first planetary mechanism and a reduction ratio between the second planetary mechanism and the fourth driving system when the driving force of the first motor is transmitted to the fourth driving system via the second planetary mechanism are different from each other.
Further, according to the eighth aspect, there is also provided a camera having the above driving device.
With the arrangements according to the seventh and eighth aspects of the present invention, the speed of the same apparatus operation such as the film winding operation which is driven by the driving force of the first motor can be switched by driving the switching mechanism by the second motor. Thus, optimal and efficient driving operations can be performed depending on the state of the power supply, driving loads, or the like. As a result, when the camera has normal levels of power supply voltage, film winding load, and the like, the apparatus operation speed (for example, the film winding speed) can be increased.
The driving load exerted on the switching mechanism is lighter than those required for driving the mirror and shutter charge, the film feeding, and other driving operations for the camera, and therefore the second motor can be selected to have a lower output (and a smaller size) than the first motor. Furthermore, since two motors are used, the mechanisms can be laid out more freely and a relatively smaller number of planetary mechanisms are required than when only one motor is used. As a result, the entire size of the apparatus or camera and its costs can be reduced.
Furthermore, since one camera operation can be performed by rotation of the motor in only one direction, the motor controlling sequence can be simplified compared to a case where rotations in both directions are combined together to perform one operation. Therefore, the present invention is effective for reducing the period of time required to wind the film to thereby increase the continuous photographing frame speed.
In a preferred embodiment of the eighth aspect of the invention, the switching mechanism selectively switches between a first state in which the first planetary mechanism is permitted to be drivingly connected to the second driving system, and a second state in which the second planetary mechanism is permitted to be drivingly connected to the fourth driving system, and in the first and second states, the first planetary mechanism is permitted to be drivingly connected to the first driving system.
With this arrangement, the first driving system can be driven by rotation of the first motor in the first direction regardless of selection of the above apparatus operation speed, thereby simplifying the control sequence.
Moreover, for example, in the camera, depending on the state of the switching mechanism, the film can be wound at a high or low speed by rotation of the first motor in the second direction, while the film rewinding operation, which is not related to the film winding operation, can be preformed by rotation of the first motor in the first direction. Furthermore, after the completion of film winding or the like, the mirror driving operation and the shutter charge driving operation can be performed by rotation of the first motor in the first direction. Thus, the first motor can be fully utilized to thereby restrain an increase in the number of required motors.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification and drawings.